Bari Italy Cruise Port Guide

Location:

From the Bari International Airport Karol Wojtyla:

Taxi - Taxis are available outside the Arrivals Hall.

Bus - The Amtab Bus No. 16 offers service to/from city center, and the Tempesta Bus Co. links with the central railway station. From there goes bus nr 20 to the cruise terminal of Bari.

The port of Bari with a new cruise terminal is situated NW of the old city and its boundaries are, on the West side, the Saint Cataldo quay and, on the East side, the new Foraneo quay.

The city of Bari has a lovely old town area within (20 minutes) walking distance of the port (although there are shuttles available, as well as taxis).

Printable map to take along.

Hotels near the Cruise Terminal

Cruise calendar for this port.

Watch a destination video.

Live Nautical Chart with Wikipedia Markers

Port Location on Google Maps

Monthly Climate Averages for Bari Italy

Sightseeing:

Bari is best explored on foot.

Bari is made up of different urban sections. To the north, the closely built old town on the peninsula between two modern harbors, with the splendid Basilica of San Nicola (Saint Nicholas), the Cathedral of San Sabino (1035 - 1171) and the Castello Svevo of Frederick II, is now also one of the major nightlife districts. This historic part of town, in the north of Bari, is home to many ancient buildings of religious and historical interest. The neighborhood has a distinctly medieval feel, as it is filled with churches from the Middle Ages. The Murattiano section to the south, the modern heart of the city, is laid out on a rectangular gird-plan with a promenade on the sea, and the major shopping district (the via Sparano and via Argiro). The Via Capruzzi runs through the financial hub that surrounds the center of Bari; there are many business offices, markets, and stores in this modern area.

Situated in Italy's heel – famous for its beaches, hill towns and fabulous food – is an increasingly popular tourist destination. Commercial and administrative capital of Puglia, a university town and southern Italy's second city, Bari has its fair share of interest. Bari's rich cosmopolitan past – embracing Byzantine, Norman, Arabic, Angevin and Pisan culture – is reflected in the city's glorious architecture, especially the remarkable 12th-century basilica dedicated to the city's patron, Saint Nicholas.

Tourist office and more information.

La città Vecchia (The old city)
The extraordinary old city largely consists of narrow and winding streets. Here you will find all the important medieval monuments, such as the Swabian castle and many churches, including the Cathedral of San Sabino and the Basilica of San Nicola.

Il Castello svevo (The Norman-Swabian Castle)
This building was begun by Roger II (1139) and destroyed at least twice by the people of Bari, in protest again the tyranny of the Normans. Frederick II rebuilt it almost completely between 1233 and 1240.

Basilica di San Nicola
The basilica was constructed between 1087 and 1197, and has always held the remains of San Nicola (who is also known as Santa Klaus). It is both a Catholic and an orthodox church, and partly , for this reason, is a place of annual pilgrimage for many people from all over the world. Price: Free entry.

Cattedrale di San Sabino
This building was originally built in Byzantine style in 1062, and rebuilt in a Romanesque form in 1170 after the destruction it had undergone at the hands of William the Evil in 1156. Price:Free entry

Bari's oldest festival celebrates its patron Saint Nicholas with a lurid, noisy parade on 8 May, preceded by the Processione dei Pellegrini, the procession of pilgrims to the sea. Easter is marked by a week of parades of mournful brass bands and religious icons. The Fiera del Levante is a more recent creation, designed to celebrate Bari's trade links with the(far/near) East. Throughout the summer, a wide range of music and theater is performed, usually for free, in the Old Town.

Tours Excursions Transportation:

There are two little mini sightseeing trains in Bari, waiting at the port. about 5 to 10 minutes walk from where you are docked: an hour and a half tour through old Bari, dropping you off right at your ship when the tour has concluded. 15 Euro.

It pays to compare your cruise line shore excursions here.

Nearby Places:

Puglia, especially the Terra di Bari is justly famous for its Romanesque cathedrals and churches: the towns of Altamura, Barletta, and Bitonto are recommended, accessible by a slow but picturesque local train from Bari. Altamura dramatically sited on the edge of the High Murge escarpment is also famed for its bread. The bakers of the Città del Pane was recently awarded a DOP to safeguard their delectable creations noted for their thick, crisp crusts and deep yellow dough. Visit the bakery and shop of Fratelli di Gesù (via Eleonora Pimentel 17, Altamura, 080 314 1213) for a tasting.

The sweltering port town of Brindisi is around 60 miles south of Bari, and is traditionally regarded as the gateway to the Greek Ionian islands (ferries to Corfu, Patras and Igoumenitsa are the most frequent). Nowadays, however, it is also the point of entry for tourists holidaying in a trulli, the distinctive, hive-shaped and whitewashed buildings for which southern Puglia is renowned.

Matera has gained international fame for its ancient town, the "Sassi di Matera" (meaning "stones of Matera"). The Sassi originate from a prehistoric (troglodyte) settlement, and are suspected to be some of the first human settlements in Italy.

The Sassi are houses dug into the rock itself, known locally as "Tufo", which is characteristic of Basilicata and Puglia. Many of these "houses" are really only caverns, and the streets in some parts of the Sassi often are located on the rooftops of other houses. The ancient town grew in height on one slope of the ravine created by a river that is now a small stream. The ravine is known locally as "la Gravina".

Alberobello is known as the Capital of the Trulli. The trullo is a fascinating architectural feature of this area of Puglia, a building with a conical roof made without mortar. Alberobello has special status internationally - designated a UNESCO world heritage site - because its collection of some 1,500 trulli in an urban environment is unique.

Shopping and Food

A nice palm-lined promenade and broad boulevards with designer shops and top-quality restaurants in the new part of Bari.

Currency:

Communication:

Opening Hours and Holidays:

Most shops and businesses in Italy opens from Monday to Saturday from around 8am until 1pm, and from about 4pm until 7pm, though many shops close on Saturday afternoons and Monday mornings, and in the south the day can begin and end an hour later. In the north, some businesses work to a 9am-5pm day to facilitate international dealings. Traditionally, everything except bars and restaurants closes on Sunday, though most towns have a pasticceria open in the mornings, while in large cities and tourist areas, Sunday opening is becoming more common

Thank you for printing this article! Please don’t forget to come back to whatsinport.com for new and updated port guides.